Hopper door



March 22, 1932. .1. s. SWANN HOPPER DOOR Filed May 18, 1931 Patented Mar. 22A, 1932 UNITED STATES PATENT orifice JAMES S. SWANN, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR TO UNION METAL PRODUCTS COMPANY, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, Av CORPORATION OF DELAWARE HorPER noon Application led May 18, 1931. Serial No. 5384560.

My invention relates to the construction of railway cars of the dumping or drop bottom type, such as hopper cars, hopper gondola cars, drop bottom or general service gondola cars or the like, having a door forming a part of the load retaining means, which door is provided with hinges adjacent one of its edges and is capable of being dropped 0r swung open to discharge the load. Any means of raising the door to the closed position and any means for locking and releasing the door may be employed with my door.

The door may also be used as an end door or end gate of a mill type gondola7 wherein the sides of the car are rigid but the end walls' are hinged to the car at their lower margins so that they can be dropped or lowered to a horizontal position to permit the car to be usedV for transporting articles longer than a single car, such as fabricated girders and beams, poles, pipes, etc.

I prefer to make the door of cast metal because a better distribution of the metal for strength requirements can be obtained without the use of separate fixtures, and furthermore, cast metal has greater resista-nce to corrosion than rolled steel.

Another object of the invention is to provide a door of cast metal formed and shaped so that it will not be deformed by warping when cooling, and furthermore, will eliminate shrinkage cracks and internal stresses.

Another object of the invention is to reinforce the body portion of the door by stiftening elements which extend from the hinge butts on one side of the door to the supporting means on the opposite side of the door, which elements are deflected from straight lines and connected adjacent their middles by a stiifening member, wherein the stiifening elements and the stiening member are so positioned as to divide the area of the body of the door into substantially equal areas so that any part 0f the body of the door will be in close proximity to the reinforcing element.

In the drawings:

Figs. l, 2 and 3 show the preferred form of my invention wherein the reinforcing element and members comprise corrugations wherein Figs. 2 and 8 are sections on lines 2 2 and 3 8 respectively of Fig. l.

Figs. 4, 5 and 6 show the door formed with reinforcing ribs wherein Figs. 5 and 6 are sections on lines 5-5 and 6-6 respectively of Fig. 4.

rThe doorcomprises a body 2 with spaced apart hinge butts 3 at One side of the body and spaced apart supports 4 at the opposite side of the body and a stiliening element 6 lextending from each hinge butt 3 to the support 4 on the opposite side of the door and a stiffening member 8 connecting the middles 0f the elements 6. The stiffening elements 6 being deflected from straight lines whereby the portions l0 of the body between the elements and the member and the portions 12 between the elements and the ends of the door are of substantially equal area.

In order to reinforce the perimeter of the door I preferably provide a corrugation 14 adjacent each side of the door which merges into a preferably depending continuous flange 16 `extending around all sides of the door. The reinforcing elements 6 merge into this corrugationadjacent the hinge butt k3 and support 4 respectively.

I preferably make these doors of cast metal, as cast metal has a greater resistance to corrosion than rolled metallic plates. However, the form shown in Figs. l, 2 and 3 may be made of a rolled metallic plate pressed between reciprocating dies.

Figs. 4, 5 and 6 show my device made of cast metal wherein the body 30 is provided with preferably integral hinge butts 31 on one side of the door and preferably integral supports 32 on the opposite side thereof. The reinforcing elements 34 merge into the ilange adjacent the perimeter of the door and the reinforcing member 37 connects the middles-of the reinforcing elements 34 which are shown as deflected from straight lines, so that the portions 38 and 40 are of substantiaL ly equal area. The several elements preferably vary in depth according to the stresses imposed upon them.

The accompanying drawings illustrate the preferred form of the invention, though it is to be.. understood that the invention is not '39 ments, said stifening elements 'beingdeectl ed with a stiiening Acorrugated element Vex- 2@ Y' Y Y Y, 1,850,361

'limited to the exact details of construction Vshown and described, as it is Obvious that various modifications thereof, Within the scope ofV the claims, will occur to persons skilled in the art. Y

I'claln: y 1. A door Aforming part of thecload retaining means of a railway car comprising a body, spaced apart hinge butts on one side o-said body, cspaced `apartY supports fon fthe Y v oppositeside of saidbody, said body provided with a stiffening element extending from each hinge butt Vto the support on thenppio-l site side of the door, and-a stifeningfmember connecting the middlesV of said elements, said stiiening elementsbeing deflectedy from straight lines whereby the portions yof wthe body between f the Aelements land the member and between the-elements and the'endsof .the

r doar anre .of sbstantially .equal farea.l

2. A door forming part ofthe loadmetainingmeans of Ia railwaycar comprising a'body provided with `anges adjacent the sides and kends-thereof, tspaced apart hinge 'butts -on one ,sideV of -said body, spacedfapart supports n on fthe'opposite side :of saidV body extending from each hinge butt tto the y'support on 'the opposite side of the door, :and a .stiiening member vconnecting the`f-midd1es of :said eleed from i straight .lines VVwhereby the 'portions of the body between the .elements rand the Vmember -and fbetweenthe elements andthe ends of theV door are of 'substantially :equal Y3. Ardour formingpart oftheiloadretainngfmeans of araiiway caiwformed 'from a f a't'metallic plate ycomprising:abzidy providedvwitha :continuous :corrugation :adjacent .thesidesffandendsthereof'which merge nto a continuous flange at .the sides and :ends of the door, spaced apart hingebuttson one side of Aniaidlbody,spaced apart 'fsupports :on .the opposite-- side :of :said body, said body provid- :from each hinge butt `to 'the sup ort on'thefopposite side ofthe door and afsti enl ing corrugated member connecting the fmiddlesfaf said e1ements,;said stififening elements bemgY-,deiiected 'from straight lIines whereby the portions of the v-oody between ythe fe1e` ments and the :member and 'between the ele# mentsgand the ends [of the door iure .of .subatantialiyequal area. 

